Immortality

Prabhupada:. . .Now Krsna is giving a practical way of understanding the presence of soul. He says, yena sarvam idam tatam: "One thing, which is spread all over the body, that is avinasi." That means immortal. So what is that which is spread all over the body? It is not the skin, not the... This is also spread over the body. The skin, the bone, the marrow, the blood—they are also spread over the body, but Krsna is not meaning this material things. The actual active principle within this body is the spirit soul. Now, in medical science, bones are being replaced; flesh also being replaced; blood is also being replaced by injection. So everything can be replaced materially by scientific improvement. But when that things which is immortal, that is gone, it cannot be replaced. Even nowadays the heart is being replaced, but no medical science or any science has ever been able to replace the life. So he's giving the example that that presence of the soul is perceived by consciousness. So the flesh is there, the bone is there, the blood is also there, but when the consciousness is not there, that means it is finished. Because the consciousness is there, therefore any part of the body, if we pinch, we can feel pains and pleasure. And when the consciousness is not there, when the man is dead, the flesh is there, the blood is there and other ingredients are there, but there is no more life because it is useless now.

Therefore Krsna says that avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. The tatam means spread. The consciousness is spread. If we pinch in this part, by consciousness you'll feel pain, or this part or any part of the body, because the consciousness is there, you feel pains and pleasure.

So Krsna points out that this consciousness is immortal, avyaya. Avyaya means which is never annihilated, avyaya. Vyaya means there is whole thing, and you can take out part of it, but avyaya means you cannot take a part of it also; it is always wholesome. So this consciousness is avyaya, means never annihilated, and avinasi means immortal. So when this consciousness is transferred from this body to another body, that is called transmigration of the soul. But one thing we must know it, that as there is consciousness in my body, as there is consciousness in your body, similarly, there is consciousness in the whole universe. So long the consciousness is there in my body and the consciousness is there in your body or everyone's body, the body is very nice, very fresh, everything is going nicely. So as soon as the consciousness is gone, immediately this lump of matter begins to decompose.

Similarly, this material cosmic manifestation is working very nicely—the sun is rising; the moon is rising; the seasons have changes; the air is blowing; the light is there; heat is there—why? Because there is big consciousness. And that small consciousness in your body and my body, keeping this body fit, similarly, there is another, greater consciousness which is keeping this material world fit and working order. So what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the spread of the soul. Just like example: you take a small grain of arsenic acid, or potassium cyanide, you put in your tongue, immediately it spreads all over your body and you die. So you can just understand the potency of a small grain of material thing. So how much potency is there of the spiritual thing? Because, we have already discussed, material things are inferior and spiritual identity is superior. So you study these material things, a small grain of poison or the sun, how much powerful they are. A small grain of poison immediately can finish the body, and the small disk, although it is not small... It looks... We can see. The sun globe is spreading the light and heat all over the universe. Similarly, the potency of the soul is so powerful that it is maintaining the whole body. Similarly, the potency of God is maintaining the whole universe. Just like on account of the presence of the soul the body is maintained, similarly, on account of presence of God the whole universe or the cosmic manifestation is maintained. As I am, a small particle of spiritual identity, I am maintaining this body so sound and healthy, similarly, the presence of the Supreme Soul Krsna, or God, is maintaining the whole material cosmic manifestation. Every one of us can perceive the presence of the soul and presence of God.

Another feature is that your consciousness and my consciousness is different. Therefore we are all individual. Similarly, God is also individual. That has been explained in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says that "Arjuna, you, Me, and all these people who have assembled in this battlefield, they were individual in the past, individual at present, and they'll continue, individual, after death also." Now, that individuality... God is great because His consciousness is big. He is maintaining the whole cosmic manifestation. And I am very small. Therefore my consciousness is also limited, and I am spreading all over this body. So any sensible man, intelligent man, can understand the presence of God by seeing this cosmic manifestation in orderly being maintained. It is said in the Visnu Purana, just like fire remaining in one place spreads the heat and light, similarly, the soul also, being present in some part of our body—it is said in the heart—it spreads his heat and light, the consciousness. Similarly, God is also present. He spreads heat and light, and therefore we find so many varieties of manifestation. Just like... This example is very perfect. Just like the light is here, it is localized, but it is spreading its illumination all over this room. The light is situated in one place. Similarly, God is situated in His kingdom or in His place; still, He is present everywhere. He is present within your heart. He is present even within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu-ca

yantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.35] **. He is present in His abode, and He is present everywhere. He is present within the atom. He is present within your heart. This is called parinama-vada, or the presence of the energy of God. Every one of us, we are also energy of God.

There are three kinds of energies. He has got multi-energies—parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]—but they have been summarized into three. The one energy is called spiritual energy, the other is called material energy, and the third is called marginal energy. The spiritual and material we can understand. At least we can feel when the, a living man and a dead man... A living man means spirit and matter combined. And a dead man means the matter is there; spirit is gone. So you can distinguish what is spirit and what is matter. So similarly, there is, as this is material world, there is another spiritual world. We living entities, we, by nature, we are spiritual, but because we have got the potency either to live in this material world or in the spiritual world, therefore we are called marginal. The real position is, because we are spiritual, we should live in the spiritual world. At the present moment we have lost our spiritual constitutional position; therefore we are in this material world. Just like a man is generally healthy, but sometimes he falls sick, so at the present moment our condition is sick. It is called bhava-roga. Bhava-roga. Bhava means to become, and roga means disease. What is that bhava-roga? We are appearing, taking birth in the material world. This is called bhava: "You become." And after sometimes you become finished, means death. This is called disease. Bhava-roga. Yes. We have to cure this disease and come to our healthy standard of life. That opportunity is here in this human form of life. If you want to cure this material disease and revive your healthy condition of eternal spiritual life, the opportunity is here. Therefore our only business in this human form of life is to cure this material disease, not to aggravate it. Disease should be cured, not to increase it. But at the present moment we are mad after increasing the disease. We are acting in such a way that we have to accept another body. That means material disease will continue.

So to live irresponsibly like cats and dogs is very risky life. Because so long we shall be engaged in the matter of sense gratification—material life means sense gratification—we shall increase our prolongation of repetition of birth and death. So this irresponsible life of eating, sleeping, sex life and defense like cats and dogs will not help us. Therefore... Because this kind of activities will oblige me to accept another body, and as soon as we accept another material body we become subjected to the stringent laws of material nature. And the material miserable conditions are summarized into four items: birth, death, old age and disease. So those who are not in knowledge of the spirit soul, they are very irresponsibly prolonging his life in material activities. Material science could not find out the spirit soul within the body because the magnitude, the dimension of the spirit soul, is very, very small. That is stated in Padma Purana,
balagra-sata-bhagasya
satadha kalpitasya ca
bhago jivah sa vijseyah
sa canantyaya kalpate

Balagra means the tip of your hair. Divide into ten thousand parts. That one part is the dimension of the soul. That is there within the body. So material science has no such instrument or perfection of study that they can see such a small particle. Therefore these foolish people say there is no soul, but the practical application—the soul is there; therefore the consciousness is there; therefore the body is working in order. The soul is minus, the consciousness is minus—this body is a lump of matter.
So we have to study this very intelligently. Then we'll understand that what is soul, what is the business of the soul, why the soul is entrapped in this bodily, material body, why there are so many varieties, body. This is a great science, and that science is explained in this Bhagavad-gita. Actually, at the present moment there is no education, because education means to understand my identity. The so-called education which is going on, that is called art. Of course, they also say, "B.A., M.A., Bachelor of Art, Master of Art." It is just learning an art only; it is not education. Just like an electrical electrician. He knows the art how to put the negative and positive wire and bring electricity. That is an art. But that electrician does not know what is the science of understanding soul. The modern education, they are simply giving lessons on some art, generally known as technology. So by that advancement of knowledge we can construct high skyscraper building, nice motorcar, nice airplane, nice machine. That is art. But we do not know what is going to happen next life, my soul. That we do not.

So this is the distinction between avidya and vidya. Vidya means knowledge, and avidya means ignorance. Suppose you construct a very nice skyscraper building and next life you become something—you remain a rat in that house—then what is your benefit? The soul has to accept a body according to his karma. If by karma he has to accept the body of a rat, it will not be excused by nature that "You have constructed skyscraper building; therefore you'll again come and live there." No, that is not possible. If by karma you are fit for becoming a rat or cat, nature will give you that body. On account of your high attraction of the skyscraper building you can remain there, a rat and cat, but you cannot enjoy anymore. Therefore every human being should be very intelligent that "What is going to happen, my next life?" and prepare for that because it is said..., avinasi tu tad viddhi: "That small particle is avinasi," means it is not going to die; the body is going to finish. Then if my next life, next body, becomes rat and cat, then what is the benefit I get by this skyscraper building I have constructed with so hard labor and perseverance? This is knowledge. If you simply become interested on this small span of life, say, fifty or sixty or hundred years, utmost, but if you neglect your eternal existence, is that intelligence? We are teaching that science, and the Bhagavad-gita is there. Take advantage of it.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

 

[ SRILA PRABHUPADA, Bhagavad-gita 2.17 -- Mexico, February 17, 1975]

Ultimate Deception

Once upon a time (as in a fairy tale), most of us believed that the food we ate was basically wholesome, nutritious and free from dangerous chemicals, that advertising may have been believable, and that product labels truly described the qualities and contents of what we fed ourselves and our families. Once upon a time, most of the world believed in the integrity of our heads of state, high-ranking political officials and local leaders. Once upon a time, we thought our children were getting a solid education in the public school system. Once upon a time, many of us believed atomic energy had “peacetime uses” that were perfectly safe and completely congruous with a happy and healthy society.

Yet in recent times our illusions have been shattered. Repeated exposes of widespread consumer fraud and grand political collusion and bribery have all but destroyed our former innocence. We now know that through mass marketing and the media, a veil of fantasy and deception can be created with such unprecedented expertise that it can become impossible for us to distinguish between substance and simulation, reality and illusion.

Today many scientists are propagating the doctrine that life originates from matter. However, they cannot provide proof, either experimentally or theoretically. In fact, they hold their stance essentially on faith, in the face of all sorts of scientific objections. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that this groundless dogma has done great damage to moral and spiritual standards worldwide and has thus caused incalculable suffering.

Though beset by internal doubt and division, modern scientists have somehow managed to present a united front to the nonscientific public. Their behavior brings to mind the worst in political and corporate trickery. For instance, despite the recent outcry over their masking the difficulties of maintaining safety standards at nuclear power plants, the scientists and the government remain committed to nuclear power and even make light of the fact that there is no safe way of dealing with radioactive waste.

In popular works and in textbooks scientists present their account of the material origin of life as the only possible scientific conclusion. They claim that no other theory can be scientifically acceptable. And so everyone is taught that life gradually arose from chemicals, a “primordial soup” consisting of amino acids, proteins and other essential ingredients. Yet in their journals and private discussions, the same scientists acknowledge that their theory has grave, sometimes insuperable difficulties. For example, certain features of the DNA coding mechanism cast serious doubt upon the substance of evolutionary thought. The noted biologist W. H. Thorpe writes, “Thus we may be faced with a possibility that the origin of life, like the origin of the universe, becomes an impenetrable barrier to science and a block which resists all attempts to reduce biology to chemistry and physics.” The highly committed evolutionist Jacques Monod has pointed out these same difficulties. Theodisius Dobzhansky, another prominent advocate of evolution, can only agree: “Our scientific knowledge is, of course, quite insufficient to give anything like satisfactory accounts of these transitions [from no life to life, from no mind to mind]. Biologists as basically different in their... views as W. H. Thorpe and Jacques Monod agree that the origin of life is a difficult and thus far intractable and unsolved problem. I concur.” Dobzhansky goes on to call the origin of life “miraculous.” These admissions by Dobzhansky, Monod and Thorpe are by no means unique. Yet in popular presentations and textbooks one finds little hint of such widespread doubt.

Nobel prize-winning physicist Eugene Wigner has shown that the probability of the existence of a self-duplicating unit is zero. Since the ability to reproduce is one of the fundamental characteristics of all living organisms, Wigner concludes that our present understanding of physics and chemistry does not enable us to explain the phenomenon of life. Herbert Yockey has demonstrated by information theory that even a single informational molecule such as cytochrome c (what to speak of complex organisms) could not have arisen by chance in the estimated lifetime of the earth: “One must conclude that, contrary to the established and current wisdom, a scenario describing the genesis of life on earth by chance and natural causes which can be accepted on the basis of fact and not faith has not yet been written.”

As we can see, on the one hand many scientists have a deep personal commitment to the concept that life comes from matter. On the other hand they admit that they do not have the evidence to corroborate their conviction, and that their theory is beset with intractable problems. They are convinced that life arose from matter and is reducible to matter, yet at the same time they must confess to having scant scientific grounds for their conviction. Thus their theory is a priori: it supersedes the scientific method and science itself. Their fervent, almost messianic hope is that someday, somehow, someone may be able to validate it, and in the meantime their faith is unshakable.

Dazzling technological achievements have given modern scientists an aura of infallibility, and so when the scientists present untested or unprovable theories about life’s origin, people tend to accept with blind faith. In Passages About Earth William Irwin Thompson writes, “Just as once there was no appeal from the power of the churches without risking damnation, so now there is no appeal from the power of science without risking a charge of irrationality or insanity.” And as botanist Garrett Hardin notes, anyone who questions the status of Darwin “inevitably attracts the speculative psychiatric eye to himself.”

The dialogues in Life Comes From Life may seem revolutionary, but then were not Newton, Pasteur and Einstein scientific revolutionaries? Life Comes From Life does not simply criticize those who support the theory that matter is the origin of life. Rather, this book encourages them to rededicate themselves to a more genuine and intense quest for truth and knowledge, and to thereby redirect their valuable intelligence, resources and work toward the true benefit of the world.

[Introduction to Life Comes From Life, By His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya for ISKCON]
http://prabhupadabooks.com/g=156405

Spiritual Death

Prabhupada: So it may..., it can be taken figuratively, that when one forgets his position, that is a kind of death also. One forgets himself. But actually soul is eternal, and what Augustine says as spiritual death, that is his forgetfulness. Just like in unconsciousness one forgets his identity, but if he is dead then he cannot revive consciousness. Similarly, it is little difficult for the bodily concept of life persons, but there are many proofs and understanding that soul is eternal. He, of course, until he gets his freedom from this material existence, he is spiritually dead. Even though he is working in this material form, because he has forgotten his real identity, that is also a kind of death. Ya nisa sarva-bhutanam tasyam jagarti samyami. This sloka explains how one is dead and how one is alive. When one is forgetful of his spiritual consciousness, God consciousness, he is supposed to be dead, and when he, one is alive to the spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, he is alive. In this sense, it is a question of two stages, awakening stage and forgetful stage, but actually a soul is eternal. He never dies, even after the annihilation of this body.
 
Hayagriva: But the forgetful stage is never everlasting or eternal, is it?
 
Prabhupada: Yes, it is not. It can be, what is called, revived, his consciousness. That is our Krsna consciousness movement. Just like a man is sleeping, almost unconscious, but if you call him again and again, and the sound enters through the ear into the heart, he becomes awakened. Similarly, by this chanting process he revives his spiritual consciousness, then he is alive in his spiritual life.

[Srila Prabhupada, * Discussions with Hayagriva dasa, St. Augustine]

Kill An Animal Kill A Plant: Same Sin

Girl: Why is it all right to kill any plants? How are they different from animals?

Tamala Krsna: She is asking, "What is the difference between killing a plant and eating it and killing an animal and eating it?"

 
Prabhupada: The same fault. Either you kill animal or plant, the same sin is there just like if you kill an uncivilized and if you kill a big man, the punishment is the same, hanging. You cannot say that "I have killed one uncivilized man." No. That you cannot do. Similarly, you cannot kill even plant. But we have to live. Therefore we can kill plant under the order of the Supreme. Just like I have already explained. Krsna said, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Patram means plant. So Krsna wants it. So for Krsna's sake we can do that. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna did not like to kill his brothers, but Krsna said that "This is My desire." "All right, I shall kill." This is Krsna-bhakti. When Krsna says, we can do everything, not for our personal self. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. That another crude example: just like a soldier. When he is fighting by the order of the state, he is getting gold medal and killing. His business is killing. But the same man, when he comes home, if he kills one person, then he is hanged. Why? He could say that "My business is killing. I am soldier. I have killed this man." "No. This is for your account. On the battlefield you killed for the state's account; therefore you were eulogized. You were given reward." Similarly, we can kill only on the order of the Supreme. Otherwise we cannot kill even a plant. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says, yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. Yajna means for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, whatever you do, you are not implicated with sinful activities. And bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat [Bg. 3.13]. And a person who is doing on his own capacity, he is simply acquiring sinful resultant action. So the conclusion is: even a plant you cannot kill, what to speak of bigger animals. If one thinks that "I am killing only plants; therefore I am very pious, vegetarian," no. There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. They are equally sinful. Only those who are taking prasadam [food offered to Krishna], they are free from sinful activities. Yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. All right, thank you...

[Conversation with Srila Prabhupada, Sunday Feast Lecture—Atlanta, March 2, 1975]

Guru Nanak: Authorized Teachers Encourage Chanting Gods Name

Guest (2): Srila Prabhupada, in the Sikh-dharma they say to chant the holy names of God,and so far I haven't encountered the name “Krsna” in the scriptures. Ihave encountered “Govinda,” “Mukunda,” “Rama” and…, but the main namethat is chanted is Viduh. And I was wondering if you could commenton…, on the Sikh-dharma.

Prabhupada: It is very good. It is very good. Guru Nanak, he chanted the name, holy name of Rama, the holy name of Krsna, Govinda. So if we follow Guru Nanak, we are fortunate. Anyone who presents a science of God, it doesn't matter whether he is this man or that man; he is our guru.

United Nations: We Want to Unite The Nations

Letter:

To the People of Bangkok, Thailand

Please accept my best wishes. I am sorry I am not able to come but I must remain here in Bombay for some pressing matters. So I am sending my secretary His Holiness Brahmananda Maharaja who will represent me.

The Krishna Consciousness mission is not sectarian. We want to do what the United Nations has failed to do. The human form of body is an opportunity for solving all the problems of life. Through evolution we come to the human life for solving this problem. The real problem is the repetition of birth, death, disease, and old age.

But there is another status of life where there is no birth, death, disease, and old age. The Krishna Consciousness movement is the means for promoting the human being to that status. This is a great science, and it is elaborately explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

So our mission is to give this benediction to all humanity. Let us cooperate together on this basis so that it will be a more effective United Nations, We shall be united on the basis of the prime need of human society, spiritual life.

I hope this meets you all well.

Faithfully yours,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bombay 14 December, 1974

Travel to Other Planets; "only possible by psychological changes in the mind"

The adaptability of organisms in different varieties of planets is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as vibhūti-bhinnam, i.e., each and every one of the innumerable planets within the universes is endowed with a particular type of atmosphere, and the living beings there are advanced in science, psychology, etc., according to the superiority or inferiority of the atmosphere. Vibhūti means "specific power," and bhinnam means "variegated." Scientists who are attempting to explore outer space in an attempt to reach other planets by mechanical means must realize that organisms adapted to the atmosphere of the earth cannot exist in the atmospheres of other planets. As such, man's attempts to reach the moon, the sun, or Mars will be completely futile because of the different atmospheres prevailing on those planets. Individually, however, one can attempt to go to any planet he desires, but this is only possible by psychological changes in the mind. Mind is the nucleus of the material body. The gradual evolutionary progress of the material body depends on psychological changes within the mind. The change of the bodily construction of a worm into that of a butterfly and, in modern medical science, the conversion of a man's body into that of a woman (or vice versa) are more or less dependent on psychological changes.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if a man, at the time of death, concentrates his mind upon the form of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and while so doing relinquishes his body, he at once enters the spiritual existence of the antimaterial world. This means that anyone who trains the mind to turn from matter to the spiritual form of the Godhead by performance of the prescribed rules of devotional service can easily attain the kingdom of God, in the antimaterial sky. And of this there is no doubt.
[By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from Easy Journey to Other Planets]
[http://prabhupadabooks.com/g=156037]

A Variety of Planetary Systems

In the 'Brahma Samhita' fifth chapter there is a description of variegated planetary system even within the material world. And in the Bhagwat Geeta, such variegated planetary system in thousands and crores of material universes are considered to be the one-fourth part of the complete creative energy of Godhead. The major three-fourth part of the Lord's creative energy is manifested in the spiritual sky called by the name Paravyoma or the Vaikuntha Loka.

The explanation of the 'Brahma Samhita' is now confirmed by the material scientist as much as he (the material scientist) has admitted of the anti-material world. We have discussed about the anti-material world in the last issue of the 'Back to Godhead' (20-3-60) and in this article we shall try to give some idea of the variegated planetary system within the material universes.

There was a news from Moscow dated 21st February as follows: (Indian Express New Delhi dated 22/2/60).

"Russia's well known professor of astronomy Boris Vorontsov-Velianino said that there must be an infinite number of planets in the universe inhabited by beings endowed with reasons."

This statement of the Russian astronomer is but the latest confirmation of the statement of the 'Brahma Samhita.' In the 'Brahma Samhita' the description is summarised as follows:-

"Yasya prabha prabhavata jagadauda koti kotisu vasudadi vibhuti bhinnam tad brahma niskulama annata ashesabhutam govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami."

According to 'Brahma Samhita' as mentioned above there is not only infinite number of planets as confirmed by the Russian astronomer but there is an infinite number of universes also. And all these infinite number of universes with their infinite number of planets within are floating on and are produced of the Brahma effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of Govinda (Lord Sri Krishna) the Primeval Lord who is worshipped by Brahma the presiding deity of the Universe where we are residing.

The Russian astronomer confirms also that all the planets, which are estimated to be not less than approximately 100,000,000 planets. And in the 'Brahma Samhita' it is said that in each and every one of the infinite number of universes, there are infinite number of variegated planets.

The astronomer's view was seconded by professor Vladimir Alpatov, a biologist. According to him, some of the above mentioned planets had reached a state of development corresponding to that of earth. The report adds also as follows:-

"It could be that life similar to that in earth flourished on such planets."

"Doctor of chemistry Nikolat Zhirov, covering the problem of atmosphere on other planets, pointed out that the organisms of a Martian, for instance, could very well adapt itself to normal existence with a low body temperature."

"He said that he felt that the gaseous composition of Martian atmosphere was quite suitable to sustain life of beings which have become adapted to it."

This adaptability of organism in different varieties of planets is described in the 'Brahma Samhita' as Vibhuti Bhinnam i.e., each and every one of the innumerable planets within a universe is endowed with a particular type of atmosphere and the living beings there are more perfectly advanced in science and psychology on account of better atmosphere of life. Vibhuti means specific power and Bhinnam means variegated. Scientists who are attempting to explore the outer space and trying to reach other planets by mechanical arrangements must know it for certain that organisms adapted to the atmosphere of the earth cannot exist in the atmospheric influence of other planets. As such the attempt to get into the orbit of the Moon, the Sun or the Mars, as they are anxious to get into these particular planets, will be completely a futile endeavour of man on account of different atmosphere prevailing in those planets which are described in the 'Brahma Samhita' as Vibhuti Bhinnam. Individually however one can attempt to go into any planet he desires but this is only possible by psychological changes in the mind of a particular person. Mind is the nucleus of the material body. The gradual evolutionary process of the material body depends more or less on the psychological changes in the mind. The change of bodily construction of worm into a butterfly and in the modern advancement of medical science to convert a man's body into a woman or vice versa all these depend more or less on the psychological change of the mind.

In the Bhagwat Geeta it is said that at the time of death if anybody concentrates his mind upon the Form of the Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna and thus doing relinquishes one's body-such person at once enters into the spiritual existence in the anti-material world. This means that anybody who practices constantly for psychological changes of the mind from matter to the Spiritual Form of Godhead by performances of prescribed rules in the devotional services can easily attain to the kingdom of God in the anti-material sky and there is no doubt about it.

And in the same way if anybody desires to enter into any other planet of the material sky, he can go there just after quitting the present body, i.e., after death, and enter into the atmosphere of the particular planet one desires to enter in. Thus if somebody wants to enter into the moon planet as they are now attempting or into the Sun planet or into the Mars, one can do so simply by performing statutory acts for that purpose. The Bhagwat Geeta confirms this statement in the following words. "The thing which a person meditates upon at the time of death, and quits his material body in that state of mind, does at once attain to that particular thing after death." Maharaj Bharat, in spite of his severe penances, thought of his stag at the time of his death and thus he became a deer after death but with clear consciousness of his past life. This is very important point. The atmosphere created at the time of death is but an after-effect of the actual deeds which one performs during his duration of life.

In the Sreemad Bhagwat (3.32) the process of entering into the moon planet is mentioned as follows:-

"Materialistic minded men who have no information of the Kingdom of God are almost mad after material acquisition of wealth, fame and adoration. Such men are interested in the progressive welfare work of the family unit for self-satisfaction and progressively extending the activities for social or national welfare. Such men do attain to the desired object by material activities in the prescribed mechanical or ritualistic discharge of duties and are thus inclined to satisfy the Pitris or the bygone forefathers and so also other controlling gods by performances of sacrifices as presented in the revealed scriptures. Addiction to such acts of sacrifices and ceremonial observances such men do enter into the moon planet after death. When a person is thus promoted to the atmospheric conditions of the moon he gets the necessary strength to enjoy the drinking of 'Somarasa' (a celestial beverage). The Moon planet is a place where the demigods like Chandra is the predominating deity. The atmosphere and amenities of life there are far more comfortable and advantageous than those what we have got to utilize here. And reaching there if a person does not utilize the opportunity to get promotion to other better planets, he is degraded and is made to come up again on this planet or any other similar one like the earth. And such materialistic persons, even though they attain to the topmost planetary system, do certainly get themselves annihilated at the time of periodical general disappearance of the cosmic manifestation."

So far as the planetary system in the spiritual sky is concerned there are unlimited number of Vaikunthas in the Paravyoma and the ratio is that the manifestation of the Lord's internal potency, that is the spiritual sky, is three times greater than that of the material sky made by the external energy.

Poor materialist are busy in political adjustment in a place which is most insignificant in the evaluation of God. What to speak of this planet earth the whole universe with innumerable planets up and down is compared with a grain of mustard amongst the mustards packed in a bag. Such poor materialist makes plan here to live comfortably and thus waste most valuable energy of human life in a thing which is never to be completed. Instead of wasting time in that plan making business a plain and simple life with high thinking of spiritual life would have saved the misguided human being from perpetual unrest which is a gift of matter.

Even if a materialist wants to enjoy developed material facilities, he can transfer himself to the other many many material planets where he can experience more and more advanced material pleasures. The best plan of life is to prepare oneself for going back definitely to the spiritual sky after leaving this body but yet if anyone wants to enjoy the largest amount of material facilities, one can transfer himself in the other planets, not by means of playful sputniks which are simply childish entertainments but by psychological effects and learning the art of transferring the soul by mystic powers. The yoga system is also materialistic in as much as it teaches to control the movements of air within the body. The spiritual spark, soul is floating on air within the body and breathing exhalation are the waves of that air containing the soul. Therefore yoga system is a materialistic art of controlling such air which can be placed by practice of yoga from the stomach to the navel, from the chest to collarbones, from collarbones to the eyeballs and from the eyeballs to cerebellum. And from the cerebellum the expert yogi can convey his own soul to any planet he desires. The velocity of air or light is taken into consideration by the material scientist but they have no information of the velocity of matter namely the mind and intelligence. We have some experience of the velocity of the mind because in a moment we can transfer the mind to lacs and crores of miles away. Intelligence is still fine matter. Finer than intelligence is the soul which is not matter at all but it is spirit or anti-matter and is crores and crores times finer and powerful than intelligence. We can thus make an imagination of the velocity of the soul and how quickly it can travel from one planet to another by its own strength without any help of any sort of finer material vehicle.

Animal's civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing and sense-gratifying has misled the modernised man and they have forgotten how powerful a soul he is. As we have already described that the soul is a spiritual spark which is many many times illuminating, dazzling and powerful than the sun, the moon or electricity. Human life is spoiled by not realising his real identity. And Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu along with Nityanand appeared to save the man from the type of misleading civilization.

How the yogis can travel in all the planets of the universe is also described in the "Bhagwatam" as follows:

When the vital force is thus lifted on the cerebellum there is every chance of these force being burst out from any one of the holes like eyes, noses, ears, as these are the places which are known as the seventh orbit of the vital force. The yogis therefore can block out these holes by complete suspension of passing air and carefully the yogi concentrate the vital force in the middle position or in between the eyebrows. At this position the yogi can think of in which of the planets he wants to go after leaving this body. He can decide either to go to the abode of the Krishna in the Vaikunth which are transcendental places where nobody is required to come back again in the material world or at least if he desires not to go directly to the planets of the spiritual sky but wants to have a travel over the higher planets in the universe, he is at liberty to do so in that position.

For a perfect yogi who has attained success in the system to leave this material body in perfect consciousness, the process is as easy as an ordinary man in lifetime goes from one place to another. As already discussed the material body is just a covering of the spirit soul, mind and intelligence is the under cover and gross body of earth, water, air, etc. is the overcoating of the soul. As such any advanced soul who has realised himself by the yogic process or the linking up process from matter to spirit-can leave these shirting and coatings of the soul in perfect order and as he desire. One has complete freedom by the grace of God. The Lord is kind upon us that we can live anywhere either in the spiritual sky or in the material sky and in any planet fixed up thereof. Misuse of this freedom makes him fall down in the material world and live in a conditional life full with threefold miseries. To live a miserable life in the material world is a choice of the soul as it is nicely illustrated by Milton's "Paradise Lost" poetry and not of chance and from the material world also by his own choice he can go back to home, back to Godhead.

So in that critical time of placing the vital force in between the two brows, he is to decide where he wants to go. If he is completely reluctant to keep any connection with the material world, he can do so and within less than a second he can reach the transcendental Vaikunth and appear there completely in spiritual body just suitable to him in the spiritual atmosphere. He has simply to desire to leave the material world both in finer and grosser forms and then put on the vital force on the topmost part of the skull and leave this body from the hole of this skull called Brahmrandhra. That is the highest perfection of practicing yoga system.

But as he is endowed with the freedom of will and as such if he does not wish to get himself completely freed from the material world but enjoy a life of Brahma pada or to occupy the post of Brahma and to see the place of materially perfect beings called the Siddha Loka where a living being has full capacity of controlling the gravity, space, time, overlordship, etc., then he has not got to leave the mind and intelligence (finer matter) but can simply give up the grosser matter and thus go up to the highest place of the material universe.

The sputniks or the so-called man-made planets made of mechanical arrangements will never be able to carry human being in the interplanetary outer space. Even they cannot go into the so much advertised moon. The reason is repeated again in the higher planetary system the atmosphere is different from here. Each and every planet has its particular atmosphere and if one wants to go to any particular planet anywhere within the material universe one has to get his material shirt and coats made up exactly adaptable to the climatic condition of that particular planet. It is just like this. If a person wants to go from India to Europe where the climatic condition is different from India, then one has to change his dress accordingly. Similarly complete change of dress as much as we require to change the body when we want to go up to the transcendental planets of Vaikunth.

The difference is that if we want to go to the highest material planet we need not change the finer dress of mind, intelligence and ego but we have to change the gross dress made of earth, water, fire, etc.

But when we go to a transcendental planet we require to change both the finer as well as gross bodies and we have to reach in the spiritual sky completely in spiritual forms. The change of dress will automatically take place simply by desiring it at the time of death. This desire is possible only if we practice it during the conscious state of life. Such desires when practiced in relation with material world are called fruitive actions. When such desires are conducted in relation with the Kingdom of God, it is called divine or devotional service which is discussed also in this issue.
[By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, originally published in the Back to Godhead Magazine, BTGPY21: Volume 3, Part 17, April 5, 1960]